Embargoed: 00: 01 16 Thursday May 2013
UK consumers currently benefit from £4.6 billion savings and earnings from the Sharing Economy
33 million Brits are already sharing, and a further 14 million would consider it
Sharing Economy vital role in shaping a Sustainable Economy -
15 million tonnes of food could be shared
with those in food poverty
New research shows that 65% of adults in the UK are already part of the Sharing Economy, and a further 28 % would consider doing so, if they don’t already. The representative research conducted by Opinium of 2,005 adults in the UK was commissioned by The People who Share to demonstrate the growing consumer appetite for the Sharing Economy and launch Global Sharing Day on Sunday 2 June.
“Smart UK consumers who currently share are benefiting from £4.6 billion worth of savings or earnings. The Sharing Economy is the people’s sustainable economy and is a good deal for everyone. Consumers are now making and saving money through sharing and renting goods and services, plus they can help their neighbours and the environment. According to this research, those that share, can benefit up to £400 per year per person, with some benefiting as much as £5,000 per year,” said Benita Matofska, CEO of The People who Share.
The Sharing Economy is being driven by both consumer demand and businesses appetite for more sustainable growth. With more than 10,000 businesses now growing the Sharing Economy globally, such as, compareandshare.com, airbnb, Meal Sharing, zipcar, Blablacar, Liftshare, LoveHomeSwap, ParkatmyHouse, Sooqini, Ecomodo, rentmyitems, and the borrowers, according to Collaborative Consumption the economy is now valued at £330 billion globally and £22.4 billion in the UK.
Food sharing, such as at a picnic, pot luck dinner or street party is one of the UK’s most favourite sharing activities - with 29% of the population saying they currently do this. Global Sharing Day will take place on Sunday 2nd June. In partnership with Meal Sharing, Marks and Spencer shwopping and The Big Lunch, The People Who Share will be aiming to set the world record for the most people sharing food in a single day! Food sharing has a vital to role to play - 15 million tonnes of food are currently wasted between plough and plate that could have been shared with 4 million people affected by food poverty in the UK.
Growing numbers of organisations are now working to divert waste food away from landfill to those that need it. FareShare ensures that surplus food goes to those most in need - last year 10 million meals were delivered to people living in food poverty from food that was diverted away from landfill. The Trussell Trust for example, has seen a 170% increase in the number of people given food boxes over the past year and a 76% increase in the number of food banks set up. And Casserole connects people who want to share meals with those that are elderly and are in need.
As pioneers of the Sharing Economy, Zipcar, the UK’s largest pay-as-you-drive car club, has been observing its growth for the last 12 years. Mark Walker, General Manager of Zipcar UK, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Global Sharing Day. The Pay-as-you-live generation is here to stay and Zipcar has been proudly fuelling the Sharing Economy by providing cars and vans, available by the hour in convenient locations to consumers and businesses for the last 12 years. A typical Zipcar member saves over £3,000 per year, and it’s not just money back in your pocket. Car clubs also lead to a reduction of cars on the road, and fewer miles driven. Sharing resources, be it cars, office space or even clothes just makes sense.”
“With 64% of the adults population now already sharing, according to Opinium research, there is potential for this to grow to 93%. Consumers are sharing to save or earn money, to help people in their neighbourhood and because it benefits the environment. This is no longer a niche activity, it’s now part of how people live their lives,” said Kate Hinton, Director, Trust PR.
“The Sharing Economy is growing in the UK with a 5% increase in participation since last year. With over half the population engaged in it, selling, buying or donating second hand goods is the nation's favourite sharing activity. 36% of Britons now share transport including a ride to work, that’s a staggering 11% more than last year!” said Sabine Popp, Co-Founder, Marke2ing.
The Sharing Economy is about the efficient use of resources, about saving and making money in a new way (e.g. car sharing, peer 2 peer selling of used goods, crowdfunding, peer 2 peer lending), and about a move away from ownership to the access of shared goods and services. Sharing can include swapping goods, buying and selling second hand goods, group buying, being part of a club such as a car club, renting goods or space, borrowing or lending items such as tools or clothing.
Notes to Editor
Benita Matofska CEO of People Who Share is available for interview
Contact: Kate Hinton, Trust PR - 07714 708416 - / Caroline Randle, Trust PR - 077961 40461
The People Who Share is based in Brighton, UK and is the global campaign to build a Sharing Economy and act as a hub for the emerging Sharing Economy estimated to be worth £22.4 billion in the UK – or 1.3% of GDP. The percentage of GDP is predicted to rise to 15% within 5 years. The People Who Share’s sister company Compare and Share has an online comparison marketplace for the Sharing Economy compareandshare.com which is a one-stop shop for a range of sharing goods and services. Currently focusing on car and ride sharing, the marketplace will soon extend to travel, real estate, employment, p2p rental and skills.
State of the Sharing Economy 2013, Special Focus: Food Sharing - report sponsored by: Zipcar, Mealsharing, Marks and Spencer, Opinium Research, Marke2ing, and Trust PR
The People Who Share commissioned Opinium Research to conduct a Consumer Survey on the State of the Sharing Economy. The report is the first in a series which will document how the Sharing Economy evolves. The Global Sharing Day campaign puts a spotlight on food, the research put questions to 2,005 UK consumers asking them about their involvement with the people-driven economy. Global Sharing Day 2013, taking place on 2nd June, will focus on food sharing. We have chosen this issue to make people aware of how every year tonnes of edible food goes to landfill, yet there are millions globally living in food poverty, but also point to easy steps everyone can take to help. Full copy of report - http://www.thepeoplewhoshare.com/stateofsharingeconomymay13/
Case studies on the Sharing Economy, meal sharers and foodbank real life stories are also available.
Key stats
• We throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year, the majority of which could have been shared and eaten. It's costing us £12bn a year and is bad for the environment too - WRAP
• 15 millions tonnes of food wasted between plough and plate in the UK (15 million tonnes that could be shared) - Love food hate waste
• According to WRAP the wastage amounts to 4.4 million tonnes of perfectly edible food that, if not thrown away could have been shared or save the average family £50 per month equating to £600 per year per average family - WRAP
• Currently 4 million people are affected by food poverty with malnutrition costing the NHS an estimated £13 billion each year. Source - www.foodcycle.org.uk
• The Trussell Trust estimates more than 280,000 people will be fed by their foodbanks in 2012/13.
• The rise in the numbers of people using Trussell Trust-backed food banks in part reflects a 76% increase in the number of food banks set up over the past year. But the trust said it had seen a 170% increase in the number of people given food boxes over the same period.
• The Institute of Mechanical Engineers states that 30-50% of all food produced globally, or 1.2-2 billion tonnes, is lost between farm and consumer through wasteful practices. Up to 30% of crops are not even harvested due to them not meeting consumers’ aesthetic expectations (source: http://www.imeche.org). This amounts to the equivalent of about $200 billion annually wasted in the food supply chain in industrialised regions (source: http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/).